Help & support

Caring for your jewellery

Diamond certification

Video Description

A diamond's value depends largely on its rarity. When you buy a diamond therefore, it is important that it is professional graded so you can be certain about the diamond's main characteristics. This is why at Samara James every diamond we supply which is 0.3 carat or above is independently graded by a reputably diamond grading laboratory.

If you are considering a diamond with a carat weight of 0.3 carats or above, you should insist that the diamond has been properly certified. The certificate matters because it shows that the diamond has been graded at a laboratory and that its main characteristics have been tested and professionally assessed.

Not every grading lab assesses to the same standards, although rather confusingly, they may use the same terms. This means that if a certain lab company over grades a diamond, it will appear more valuable than it actually is. If the same diamond were then graded by one of the reputable grading labs, it is likely that the results would be much lower.

In the jewellery trade this problem is very well understood, and so reputable jewellery retailers will avoid the labs which have a reputation for deliberately over grading diamonds.

We recommend you choose a diamond graded by GIA because GIA maintain rigorous standards, they grade diamonds consistently, and it is a really good starting point from which to choose your perfect diamond.